Method of making veneered doors, panels and the like



E. C. LOETSCHER METHOD OF MAKING VENEERED DOORS, PANELS, AND THE LIKE June 21 1932.

Filed April 15, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet Inventor.

Emil C. Loaf-sch er,

E. c. LOETSCHER 1,863,800

Filed April 15. 1931 3 Shets-Sheet 2 METHOD OF MAKING VENEERED DOORS, PANELS, AND THE LIKE i 0 av/ vw. 04% 0 0 fiv/ n wfiq 6w June 21, 1932.

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Julie 21, 1932. c LQETSCHER 1,863,800-

METHOD OF MAKING VENEERED DOORS, PANELS, AND THE LIKE v Filed April 15, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet :5

Emil C. L,o;ei's,cher,

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UNITED sures 1,sss,8oo

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Application filed April 18,

In veneering moldings, panels, and other products, wherein the core member thereof to be veneered has stepsor other facial irregularities, it has been common practice, for

- the want of a commercially practical alternative, to veneer only flat and easily covered front facial portions of the core, leaving projecting, angular, and other core faces more diflicult to cover exposed 'becauseof the inability to bend the veneer to form sharp corners without rupture. This required the exposed core portions to. be'constructed of select and often high-priced material that the unveneered portions thereof would match the-veneered portions and be acceptable to the trade. In cases where ornamental veneer having irregulargrain was used, a perfectmatch could not behad with thestraight grain of the unveneered core portions, and

2 often the high cost ofconstructing the exposed core part ofthe same material as the veneer, necessitated the substitution of less expensive and less satisfactory woods to form the exposed core parts.

It is an object of this invention to overcome these difiiculties and to enable the manufacture of a superior all over veneered prodnot in a commercially practical and economical manner, producing a product having many of the characteristics of a monolithic structure, free from the usual wood troubles such as swelling and shrinking with humidity and temperature changes, and one having a durable and permanent finish obtained during the process of manufacture.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification. and wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts through- *9 out the severalviews, wherein 2- Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a product of the invention, namely a finished door with parts broken away to expose the core. Fig.2 is a view in front elevation of a stile and fragments of the top and bottom rails of the core juxtaposed for assembly.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View, through the dies, core and veneer layare, the latter'being juxtaposed ready for as.- sembly, and this view may also be read as a 1881. Serial No. 589,774.

vtiona view through a fragment of the core and veneer layers prior tooompression by the die.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same after,

compression, the die being fragmentally included in the illustration.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are corresponding trans- I verse vertical sectional views of the central core panel with veneer layers applied, illustrating various ways of oining sections of the outer veneer layer when the latter is composed of sections, and,

Fi 9 is a transverse sectional view through a strip of stile and molding (or rail and niiloldigg) stock prior to the molding being s a R ifferring to the drawings, reference numeral 15 designates the side stiles, 16 and 17 the respective top and bottom rails, 18 the mitered molding, and 19 the filling or central panel of a core to be veneered. The stiles and rails may each be of usual solid or composite structure though preferably of compartively com ressible, soft, light and inexpensive W00 5, as pine; the molding is of less expensive and comparatively incompressible and harder wood, as birch; and the central core panel 19 is of soft,"li'ght compressible wood, as basswood or poplar. Other woods or materials having the desired characteristics may be used.

Departing from the usual method of constructing door and other panel cores, the moldings 18 are unformed when applied to the stiles and rails, that is, referring to Fig. 9,

the molding stock 18' thicker than the stile 15, (or than a rail as the case may be), is glued at its edge to the edge of the stile, and the united strips are then passed throu a molding forming machine, and the mol 1n stock 18" given the cross sectional shape 0 the finished molding 18, and-if desired the stile (or rail) .stock reduced to proper thickmoldings 18 are then assembled into a core frame. The central'core-panel 19 istlien cut to snugly fit within and fill the central opening of the frame, its edges abutting those of the molding 18 and being held in place frie tionally or at least without permanent fixopenin closed by a circular core ture.

Annular products, instead of the rectangular one illustrated may be produced by following the general steps of this method, in which case the surrounding core frame will be made up of jointed pieces corresponding to the jointed pieces 15, 16 and 17 with attached moldings 18, and the frame panel correspon ing to the core 19."

In constructing veneered doors and panels showing a ste ped moldin between the stile and rails an the centra practice has been to only veneer the flat faces of the stile and rails and of the central core panel, leavin the molding unveneered because of the ifliculties encountered in forcing the veneer without rupture into the corners of the pressing die 24, the latter being essential to the production of shar well definedand uniform corners on the nal product;

In overcoming this great difiieulty, each molding 18 adjacent points where steps or angles would ordinarily occur (as between v to accurately and com letely conform itself the faces of the molding itself, orbetween the faces of the molding and the faces-of the central core panel 19 or the surrounding frame which is made up by the jointing of the stiles 15 to the rails 16 811(l' 17) ,beads 25 are provided to'force the veneering into the corners 24* of the die and compel the veneer to the angles of the die corners 24 These die corners are very slightly nosed on or filleted, but still of such a nature that the veneer would not conform itself to them Without provision of some special means such as the beads 25 to compel the veneerto shape itself exactly tothe contour of the faces. of the die 24.

The veneer may consist of a single thin layer of ornamental wood, or of suitable paper or the like, but in many cases better results can be obtained by employing one or morebacking layers. In the example. an ornamental wood outer veneer layer 30 of PPtQ imtelyl/IOO of an inch thickness is employed; backed by padding and bonding 7 layers 81, 32, 33 mass. 5 The layers 31 and'32 are preferably .of-paperQand the layers 33 and 34 preferably of cheap-and comparativecore .panel, theeeasoo ly thick wood veneer, though allpaper or all wood may be used for these layers 31 to 34 and the arrangement modified. The grain of the layer 34 crosses that of the general grain of the core, and the grain of the layer 33 crosses that of the layer 34. All adding and bonding layers should be lai with their grains crossed, and when the rain of the ornamental outer layer'runs wit that of the next wood layer, one or more layers of paper may be employed between them, but the outer veneer layer is so thin that it is immaterial if its gram should run with that of an adjacent wood layer.

Various adhesives .may be used in assembling the different parts of the product. Synthetic resin adhesive, alcohol soluble (as bakelite) or water soluble (now obtainable) may be used, and are herein adopted since the,

deslred results can only be obtained through the use of an adhesive that will first fuse and and laid upon the core with the grains of contacting layers and core crossed. The paper sheets 31 and 32 are similarly coated on both sides and then laid u n the others, and the ornamental veneer lay r 30 coated on both sides finally laid onto the pack. Brush coat ing ma bepracticed, but better results are obtaina 1c in the product by dippin the various veneer layers 30 to 34 in a vat o adhesive so the same will become thoroughly saturated. The water soluble adhesive described, being cheaper than the alcohol soluble adhesive, may be used wherever desirable, but for the outer layer it is preferable to coat the same by dipping it in a vat of an alcohol soluble adhesive, such as bakelite, since that material after being subjected to treatment under the die leaves a smooth varnish-like exterior finish, occurrin during the rocess of manufacturing the 001', and ma 'n it unnecessary to subject the door or pane to any painting, varnishing or finishing o ration after its deliveryjto the placeo use.

The adhesive applied tothe outer veneer layer 30, or one 111 the samecategory, is obtainable in a variety of colors-or may be 001- ored, hence almost any color eflect is obtainable. Satisfactorv results can be obtained with the water soluble synthetic resin adhe sive for many purposes, but in itslpresent state of perfection, the alcohol soluble adhesive mentioned is preferable in treating the outer veneer la er 30.

By giving t e die 24 a polished face, the

outer coating-of the veneer layer 30 will be. produced with apolished by. t s

adhesive is applied thereto since the underlying layer 31 supplies suffic'ient adhesive.

Upon being subjected to pressure under the die 24, the stack of veneer layers is forced to- .ward and against the core until the inner veneer layer 34 contacts therewith. The die 24 being heated by fluid, such as steam, flowing through the passage 40 in the platen 41, fuses the adhesive and causes the same to change toward the infusible and insoluble.

state, and after a required period, the die is cooled by running a cooling medium, such as cold water through the passages 40, after which the product is removed.

If both faces of the core are to be veneered, the general method is the same, except that the veneering pack is stacked on the lower die 24, the core placed on the pack, the other veneer pack placed on the core,.andthe other die 24 laid onto the upper veneer stack.

Were the beads 25 not present, the veneer would not enter the corners 24a or properly turn the corners 24b of the die, and as a result a very imperfect and unacceptable product would be formed. Since the beads 25 are a part of the comparatively hardwood molding strip 18, though the same could be.

separately applied thereto, the beads offer the necessary resistance to the veneer pack as will causethe outer veneer layer 30 to fill and completely conform to the contour of the die 24. In addition to the beads 25 being required to offer this essential resistance, the same must be compressible and deformable, one or both, whether compression and deformation of the beads are confined to that memher or imparted to the molding strip on which it is provided. y

At or adjacent the corners, where the beads 25 occur, the various layers of veneer, whether'one or more, are highly compressed, so that in addition to the outer veneer layer 30 being completely forced into the die corners, such corners become highly compressed and compacted offering dense sharp corners in the product not easily dented. The beads themselves under the high pressure to which the die is subjected, flatten out somewhat as in Fig. 5, though the exact form of deformation 1 variesaccording to conditions. Sometimes a bead is forced more into the molding strip 18, while at other times it is spread more or less laterally over and onto and even into the adjacent faces 15, 18 M18 and 18", and other faces of the molding, as well as the face of the core panel 19.

By this method f constructing a door or other panel, as is obvious, there may be surface irre ularities in the core, the joints may be open tween the various core parts, the parts of the core loosely assembled and even unaflixed to each other, and because of the veneer sheets or layers crossing the Various joints and the surplus of adhesive entering any open joints or cracks in the core or veneerlng the product will be bonded into virtually a monolithic mass.

The saturated padding and bonding layers when subjected to heat and pressure, form a plastic backing mass, conforming itself to the irregularities in the core, and which change shape to permit the outer veneer layer to conform to the irregularities in the die without *becoming ruptured. Should any rupture ofa :sliglit nature occur, the saturated condition of the-outer veneer layer 30 and the underlying layers will afford a sufficient quantity of the adhesive to fill the voids in the rupture, and where an outer surface coating forouter veneer layer 31 is intended, the filled fracture will not be materially noticeable to the eye if at all. In cases where the outer surface of the .veneer layer 30 is uncoated', the filling of the voids of the rupture will make filling of the voids by putty unnecessary aft-er completion of the product. It is not essential thatthe beads be provided all on one strip 18 as inthe example.

They may be provided on either of two adjoining portions that form a step or corner, though in the example the beads 25 are all provided'or formed on the molding strip 18 since, because of that strip being of harder material than the adj acent parts and affording the required resistance to compression, the

adjoining parts may be made of cheaper material and at the same time possess the desired compressibility essential to the production of a perfectly and satisfactorily allover veneered product.

. By this method,'where a veneer layer, such as the outer one 30, because of its size, must be builtin sections, the sections may be abutted as in Fig. 6; or abutted and taped at 30 as in Fig. 7 in which case the plasticity of the underlying veneer layers will cause them to give and compress to accommodate the. tape; or as in Fig. 8, the adjoining sections of the outer veneer layer 30 may be overlapped, in which case the plasticity of the underlying layers will compensate for theadded thickness. The possibility oflapping the sections of the outer veneerlayer 30 to form an acceptable-joint while within the die is a great advancement in the art. and greatly facilitates manufacture in that it eliminates taping outside the die or careful abutting of the outer veneer layer sections while within the die, as well as the necessary straightening of the edges of the sections to permitting abutting of such edges. In the lapped joint of'Fig. 8, the outer surfaces of the veneer sections occupy the same plane and the edge of layers and the core panel 19, as well as the compacting of the sections of the outer veneer layer. When'lapped, the edges of the sections of the veneer outer layer 30 may be irregular since the sections are merged under the high compression and if any void should occur in the oint, it is filled by the adhesive and rendered virtually unnoticeable if noticeable at all.

The invention is practised generally with very thin veneers, at times as thin as 1/100 an when employing the overlapping seam of Fig. 8, the thickness of the sections of veneer 30 cannot successfully exceed 1/80" in thickness, and even when using the seam'of Fig. 7 I

which involves the same principles ofFig. 8, the thickness of the veneer sections should not exceed .1/" in thickness, since if a greater thickness is used a distinct line will show and the seam will be so elevated that the panel would have to be rejected or subjected to an extremely expensive refinishing operation.

The entire interior structure of the door may be very imperfect; joints may be open, surfaces irregular. and cracks and checks present since under the high pressure of the die all interior portions of the structure beneath the outer surface of the outer veneer layer 30 are compressed and'deformed wherever necessary in order that the outer face of the veneer layer 30 should conform per fectly to the contour of the die.

Certain panels may not require the presence of the molding 18, in which case the central core panel 19 would join the stile 15 and rails 16 and 17 without permanent fixture, but a step would be present necessitating a head 25 on either the stile 15 and rail 16 and 17 or on the central core panel 19 (the former being preferable), to cause the veneer layer 30 to be fully pressed into the corners of the Particular attention is directed to the fact that in dipping or brush coating the various veneer layers and core parts, the adhesive will virtually entirely penetrate some or all I of the veneer layers and will penetrate into the core parts sufliciently to cause the compressed and deformed portions of the veneer layers and core parts to retain their compressed and deformed condition after removal of the veneered product from the dies; this retention of compression and deformation being-due to the hardening of the synthetic resin adhesive, while the product is maintained under the pressure of the dies. Attention is furthe r directed to thefact that because the ad- A heslve used is unaffected by humidity and temperature changes, or by ordinary. solvents, it will prevent swelling, shrinking, conflagration, or separation of the component parts of any veneered product constructed in accordance with-the provisions of this method.

The synthetic resin, after the veneerfand core parts have been treated therewith is per-..

mitted 'to harden to a non-flowing st t nd when underthe pressure of the heated di the adhesive first becomes soft and flowing It is furtherpointed out that the stiles 15 i and rails 16 and moldings 25 could not be formed integrally out of the same piece of stock since it is essential that the moldings 18 be of fairly hard wood such asbirch with little compressibility while itis desirable that the stiles 15 and rails 16 be of compressible softer wood such as nine permitting scrap lumber to be used. Also the stiles 15 and rails 16 being of less thickness than the moldings 18. it would be a worthless waste to cut the stiles and rails down from stock as thick as that 18a required for the moldings 18. Furthersince the stiles and rails for these reasons cannot be made integrally. difliculties encountered in centering and attaching irregular reformed moldings 18 by their edges to the stiles 15 and rails ,16 is avoided by the simpler time and expensereducing method of first attaching regular molding stock 18a to the stiles 15 and rails 16 and then forming the latter into molding.

What is claimed is i 1. The method of making a panel, consisting in attaching 'unformed molding stock to the stiles and rails, then transforming the molding'stock into molding, mitering the stile moldings short of the stile ends and removing the molding ends beyond the miters to permit the ends of the rails to join directly with the stiles, joining the rails and stiles with their molding miters matching to form a frame, providing a filling for the frame center, and ailixing a veneer layer to one face of the frame, moldings, and filling and across joints therebetween.

2. The method of making a veneered panel,

consisting in attaching thicker unformed molding stock to the stiles and rails of a core, then transforming the molding stock into molding thicker than the stiles and rails, mitering' the stile moldings short of -the-stile ends and removing the molding ends beyond the miters to permit the ends of the rails to join directly with the stiles, joining the rails and stiles with their attached mitered moldings to form a frame, providing a filling for the frame center, and ailixing a veneer layer 70 and later hard and non-flowing condition'be I fore the product is removed from'the dies.

to one face of the frame moldings and filling and across joints therebetween.

3. The method of making a veneered panel, consisting in attachingl unformed moldin stock having substantia y the density of hire to less dense stiles and rails of a core, then transforming the molding stock into moldin having portions of less thickness than the stl es, mitering the stile ends and removing the moldin ends beyond the mitcrs to ermit the ends 0 the rails to join directly with the stiles joining the rails and stiles with their attach providing a filling of less thickness than the moldings for the frame center, and aflixing a veneer la er to one face of the frame, moldings and lling and across joints therebetween. 4

4. The method of causing veneer applied to two angularly related surfaces of a core to fill the a ex of an an le formed by two correspon 'ngly relate angular surfaces of a pressing die; consisting in providing the core, adjacent the juncture of its angularly related surfaces, with a compressible projection that extends beyond one face of one of its said surfaces; placing veneer between said die and core; and subjecting the .core and veneer to pressure, thereby causing the projection to force the veneer into the angle of the die and also causing the projection to be compressed.

5. The method of causing veneer applied to two angularly related surfaces of a compressible coreto conform to the apex of an angle formed by two correspondingly related angular surfaces of a pressing die; consist one of its said surfaces;

ing in providin the core, adjacent the j uncture of its angu arly related surfaces; with a projection that extends be 0nd one face of acing veneer between said die and core; andsub'ecting the core and veneer to ressure, there y causing the projection to fnrce the veneer into the angle of the die and itself to be forced into the compressible core. l

6. The method of causin veneer applied to two angularly related sur aces of a core to fill the apex of an angle formed by two wire spondingly related angular surfaces of a pressing die; consisting in providin the core,

adjacent the 'uncture of its angular y relatedsurfaces, wit a deformable projection that extends beyond one face of one of its said surfaces; placing veneer'between said die and core; and subjecting the core and veneer to pressure, thereby causing the projection to orce the veneer into the angle of the die and also causing the projection to be deformed.

7. The method of causin veneer applied to two angular? related sur aces of a compress sible coreto llthe apexofan angle formedby two correspondingly related angular surfaces of a pressing die; consisting in providing the core, adjacent the juncture of its angularly related surfaces, with a deformable projeced mitered moldings to form a frame,

tion that extends beyond one face of one of its said surfaces; placin veneer between said die and core; and su 'ecting the core 1 and veneer to pressure su cient to deform and force said projection into the compressible core.

8. Themethod of veneering an irregularly faced core, consisting in providinga core of parts which produce a step where their edges adjoin, providing a compressible projection on one of said parts ad acent its edge and which projection extends beyond its face and that of the adjoinin part, placin veneer in juxtaposition to said core parts, forcing the veneer by means of a stepped face die against the core parts with sufficient pressure to deform the projection after the latter has forced the veneer completely into the corners of the die face.

9. The method of veneering a stepped core by means of a die having a stepped face,

consisting in providing a compressible proof the veneer to engage the main faces of. the

core throughout. 1

10. The method of jveneering a stepped core by means of a die having a stepped face, consisting in providing a compressibleprojeetion on the core adjacent the ste thereof,

placing a'layer of veneer and a pad ing layer therefor in the presence of adhesive in position to be applied, moving the die and core relatively to cause the projection to enga e the padding and force the same and t 'e veneer to conform to the step in the die and thereafter to cause the projection, veneer and padding to become compressed sufiiciently to cause a dense corner tobe formed in the prodnot and the main body of the veneer to engage .the' main faces of the core throughout.

' 11. The method of forming a veneered product, consisting in providing a foundation with a projection, forcing veneer against the foundation by means of a die having a facial irregularity, and in the presence of a syn thetic resin adhesive whereby the projection will first force the'veneer into the irregu larity of the die and will then be compressed,

and in applying heat suflicient to transform the synthetic resin adhesive into a hard moislture-proof substance capable of maintaining the projection in its compressed state when the product is sub'ected to moist atmosphere.

12. Themetho 'of veneering a compressible foundation, consisting in placing a layer of wood veneer composed of sections not exceeding 1/80" in thickness upon a compressible non-elastic foundation and with an 6- y naeaeoo edge portion of one veneer'section underlapping that of the other section; applying an adhesive .to belpres'ent the veneer and foundstion, and applying pressure and csusing the outer faces ofthe veneer sections without subsequent treatment'to assume a common plane-and the portion of the nnderlepped section to 'be forced into the foundation.

10 1a The methodiof makingaiinished, ex-

ternslly 'ointed-veneer faced article; in upon a compressible v n t-Elmo foundation. sections of wood veneer not exceeding 1/80 y he'ving an edge portion of one underlapping that of the weneerijisection, provi synthetic relin upon the external faces 0 the veneer sections and between the veneer sections and It the foundation, applying pressure and cansing the outer faces of the veneer sections withv out subsequent treatment to assume a com- I men-plane and the edge portion of the underlapped veneer section to be forced into the It foundation, and reacting thev synthetic resin to maintain the arts in the relation to which thg are pressed.

testimony whereof I eflix m si ature. EMIL G. LOE'I S R. n r 

